What is the difference between a Meyer lemon and a regular lemon?
Meyer lemons are rounder, smoother, and more orange in color than standard lemons. Their thin skin ranges from dark yellow to rich egg yolk, and their inner skin is a deep yellow. Additionally, Meyer lemons have barely any pith. Flavor: Regular lemons are incredibly acidic and sour. Meyer lemon trees are small citrus trees with glossy leaves and white flowers that produce a yellow-orange fruit. They can grow up to 10-feet tall and live for 50 years.As a whole, they stay fairly small, even when planted outdoors. Most Meyer Lemons live to be about 50 years old, and they begin to fruit as early as 2 years into their lifecycle. The fruit from these trees isn’t comparable to the lemons you find at your local grocery store.The Benefits of Growing Meyer Lemon Trees They produce small, fragrant flowers, and are self-pollinating, which means that you’ll only have to plant one tree in order to get fruit. The fruit of the Meyer lemon tree is sweeter than that of other lemon varieties, making it a great ingredient for many recipes.Meyer lemons are available in stores between December and May. Their limited season and fragile skin (which makes them more difficult to ship) naturally make them more expensive and harder to get your hands on than regular lemons. Though the season may be short, you can easily extend it with the help of your freezer.
Why are Meyer lemons more expensive?
Today, Meyer lemons are available in many grocery stores and specialty shops, but the extra precaution required for shipping makes them more expensive. They also have a very short harvest season, so you’ll likely only find them between December and March. Meyer lemon flowers have both male and female parts and are “self-fertile. That means you don’t need pollen from a different lemon tree for a Meyer lemon tree to bear fruit. If the plant is outdoors over the summer, insects and wind move the pollen. You don’t have to help with pollination.Standard Meyer lemon trees grow to be 6–10 feet tall, while the dwarf variety grow to be 5–7 feet tall.Meyer lemons will bear fruit mostly during fall and winter. Beyond their fruit production, dark green leaves and fragrant flowers make Meyer lemons an ideal ornamental plant. This plant can even be successfully grown in containers or inside as a houseplant, although it is unlikely to fruit when kept inside.Meyer lemons, which grow in the 3- to 4-foot range in containers, are self-fertile so don’t need another tree for pollination. However, they do need insects or wind to move that pollen around so if you keep your tree inside too long, you’ll likely get fewer fruits.Meyer Lemon Trees are the easiest citrus plants to grow indoors and they offer sweet scented blooms and fruit up to 4 times per year. Meyer lemon plants require no chill hours to fruit so they can be grown indoors all year-round.
What is so special about Meyer lemons?
Meyer lemons are sweeter and more aromatic than the standard Eureka or Lisbon lemons you will find on most produce shelves. While these small lemons don’t wallop you with acidity and make your mouth pucker, they will deliver a pleasant floral zing to brighten your favorite dishes. Meyer lemon fruits have a sweeter, less acidic flavor than the more common Lisbon or Eureka supermarket lemon varieties. The pulp is a dark yellow and contains up to 10 seeds per fruit.Meyer lemons contain low acidity, developing a sweet juice, zest, and flesh suitable for both fresh and cooked applications.Meyer lemons are typically ready to harvest when they have turned a deep yellow or orange color and feel firm to the touch with just a slight “give. They should also be fragrant. It’s best to harvest them when they are fully ripe for the best flavor. The heaviest harvest is usually late Winter/Spring.You can grow a Meyer lemon tree from a seed and start producing fruit in 4 to 6 years. Try this fun project and enjoy the fresh scent of lemon leaves while you watch your tree grow.
How long do Meyer lemons take to grow?
They will not continue to sweeten, but will still be great for seafood dishes or in anything you would use more traditional lemons. Meyer lemons take anywhere from 4 to 7 months to mature. YES I know! That is a painfully long time. While Meyer Lemons are delightfully hardy plants, there are a few ways you can set your tree up for success. Again, make sure you plant your tree in well draining soil. If you want to get technical, they thrive in a slightly acidic PH (between 5.Meyer Lemon Trees can bloom all year, but they have two main blooming times: fall and early spring. If they bloom while it’s too cold for them to be outside, simply keep your tree indoors. However, when placed indoors, they won’t have the wind and bees to carry their pollen from bloom to bloom for them.Meyer lemon trees are hardy in USDA zones 9 – 11. They cannot tolerate frost and will slip into dormancy if temperatures dip below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. If you bring the potted plants indoors for overwintering, mist them daily with water. Improved Meyer lemon trees require well-draining soil.The Meyer lemon is popular as an ornamental plant for its compact size, hardiness, and productivity. It is decorative and suitable for container growing. It is one of the sweetest lemons and even the skin is edible.Meyer lemons don’t ripen any further once picked, so if it’s the milder taste you want, then it’s best to leave the fruit on the tree as long as possible. That said, when citrus fruit freezes, it can become pithy and lose its juiciness.
How do you care for a Meyer lemon tree?
Lemon trees require 6-8 hours of full sun daily. Plant your tree in well-draining soil so that the fragile roots do not stay wet for extended periods. Overwatering or overly saturated soil is the #1 cause of yellow and/or dropped leaves. Water the tree deeply when the top inch or two of soil becomes dry. The aim is to keep the soil of your Meyer lemon tree moist but not soggy. To determine whether it’s time to water your plant, stick your finger into the soil at least up to the second knuckle. If you feel dampness at your fingertip, wait to water.Generally, Meyer Lemon Trees need water every one to two weeks. Leaves can be an indicator as to how your tree feels. If the leaves are drooping like they’re too heavy for the branches, the tree is getting too much water. If the leaves are crispy and dry or curl upwards, this is a sign of under-watering.Standard Meyer lemon trees grow to be 6–10 feet tall, while the dwarf variety grow to be 5–7 feet tall.Meyer lemons, which grow in the 3- to 4-foot range in containers, are self-fertile so don’t need another tree for pollination. However, they do need insects or wind to move that pollen around so if you keep your tree inside too long, you’ll likely get fewer fruits.
Which lemon is better, Meyer or Eureka?
Meyer Lemons are much sweeter than the Eureka variety. They have a slight orange tone to instead of a pure lemon, a thinner skin, and a bit smaller. The plant grows to a more compact 8′-10′. After successful pollination of the flowers, tiny green fruits make their appearance. Over the next 4–9 months, these young lemons grow, ripen into a vibrant yellow, and emit that delightful zesty aroma. As the tree approaches 5–8 years of age, it reaches its full potential.Appearance – Meyer lemons are smaller and more round than regular lemons, with smoother, thin, deep yellow to orange skin, and dark yellow pulp. The differences are very distinct, especially when you see both varieties side by side.Lemons are a hybrid of citrons and sour or bitter oranges that evolved through plant breeding over many centuries. Once a lemon tree is planted, it may take three to five years before it bears any fruit, but when it does, a single lemon tree can produce as many as 1,500 lemons in one growing season.Smaller and rounder in size, this type has a thinner peel with a more fragrant zest and the skin has a darker yellow to orange hue. Aside from their distinct appearance and flavor profile, these lemons stand out because they are seasonal.Once your lemons start to grow, give them time to mature. They can take around six months to mature. Don’t harvest them until their skin changes from green to dark yellow. When your sweet Meyer Lemons are ready, their skin will be a shade of yellow that’s similar to the color of an egg yolk.
Can Meyer lemons be picked green?
The fruit is usable at any stage past dark green but will have a stronger acid flavor if you pick it before it is fully ripe. Meyer lemons don’t ripen any further once picked, so if it’s the milder taste you want, then it’s best to leave the fruit on the tree as long as possible. Meyer Lemons are softer, less acidic, and sweeter than a regular lemon, and, believe it or not, can be eaten on its own! It’s also super juicy and a great addition to baking, grilling, and roasting!Just pick as needed. You may notice fruit quality declines after a very extended period of time on the tree but it shouldn’t adversely affect future crops for most household consumption. Lots of people will pick a tree like this bare when they don’t need to and not have lemons when they want them.The fruit is usable at any stage past dark green but will have a stronger acid flavor if you pick it before it is fully ripe. Meyer lemons don’t ripen any further once picked, so if it’s the milder taste you want, then it’s best to leave the fruit on the tree as long as possible.Down & Dirty: Tiny Citrus But they can also be harder to come by (their peak season in November through March) and more expensive. To replace the juice (or zest) of 1 Meyer lemon, simply swap in the juice (.